I'm currently saving up for one to replace my shoddy starter one. Currently have a whopping $21.35 in my jar :-). Just curious to know if anyone else here plays, has played, enjoys listening, saw one once...

I actually work for a company that manufactures folk harps and sells internationally. I work in the retail storefront, but I sell them, tune them, take care of them...the only thing I don't do is play them!

Ah missdelany, I would *looooove* to get my hands on a Dusty Strings. I'm kind of fixated currently on this one, though: http://www.blevinsharps.com/index.php?m ... th=283_259 (In walnut, because walnut=awesome) The only Dusty in my price range is the Ravenna and I just... don't like the way it looks. (Shallow, I know, but nonetheless true...)

At this point, it remains to be seen if I can even acquire anything decent, but we'll see. :-) I want a full set of levers, so I have $2337 (ish) left to save up. I figure I have to hem 241 pairs of pants or thereabouts to get that much... hehe.

There is a lot of symbolism in harps for me too. It's kind of like an extension of myself or something.

I rented my friend's lever harp during high school and took some lessons. Unfortunately, I moved away from the harp and the teacher and at that point had progressed enough that I should ideally move up to a pedal harp anyhow. If I ever had enough money to purchase a harp and take lessons, I would love to play again.

I rented my friend's lever harp during high school and took some lessons. Unfortunately, I moved away from the harp and the teacher and at that point had progressed enough that I should ideally move up to a pedal harp anyhow. If I ever had enough money to purchase a harp and take lessons, I would love to play again.

Can I make a (very nice!) comment that most folk harpists would take what you said very, ah...offensively? The two types of harps are very different, and, yes, while pedal harps are (very very very) expensive and praised, the folk harp is just as legitimate. Look up Maeve Gilchrist, Molly Bauckham, Laurie Riley, Laurie Rasmussen...these people play the folk harp, and it isn't a beginner instrument or a starter to bigger and better things. They're very, very nice instruments that are used frequently by professionals.There is a huge stigma in the harp community against folk harps, and, as someone who works for a company who makes high end ones, I must speak up!

I rented my friend's lever harp during high school and took some lessons. Unfortunately, I moved away from the harp and the teacher and at that point had progressed enough that I should ideally move up to a pedal harp anyhow. If I ever had enough money to purchase a harp and take lessons, I would love to play again.

Can I make a (very nice!) comment that most folk harpists would take what you said very, ah...offensively? The two types of harps are very different, and, yes, while pedal harps are (very very very) expensive and praised, the folk harp is just as legitimate. Look up Maeve Gilchrist, Molly Bauckham, Laurie Riley, Laurie Rasmussen...these people play the folk harp, and it isn't a beginner instrument or a starter to bigger and better things. They're very, very nice instruments that are used frequently by professionals.There is a huge stigma in the harp community against folk harps, and, as someone who works for a company who makes high end ones, I must speak up!

Point taken! I'm sorry for the insensitivity of my remarks and hope that all the kick a harpists out there will forgive my noob comment.

Harps are lovely instruments. I love the way they sound and look. But you know what cracks me up? Harp covers! You walk into a room where a harp has it's cover on and it looks like this giant oven hit is standing there! It's sooo funny!

I rented my friend's lever harp during high school and took some lessons. Unfortunately, I moved away from the harp and the teacher and at that point had progressed enough that I should ideally move up to a pedal harp anyhow. If I ever had enough money to purchase a harp and take lessons, I would love to play again.

Can I make a (very nice!) comment that most folk harpists would take what you said very, ah...offensively? The two types of harps are very different, and, yes, while pedal harps are (very very very) expensive and praised, the folk harp is just as legitimate. Look up Maeve Gilchrist, Molly Bauckham, Laurie Riley, Laurie Rasmussen...these people play the folk harp, and it isn't a beginner instrument or a starter to bigger and better things. They're very, very nice instruments that are used frequently by professionals.There is a huge stigma in the harp community against folk harps, and, as someone who works for a company who makes high end ones, I must speak up!

Point taken! I'm sorry for the insensitivity of my remarks and hope that all the kick a harpists out there will forgive my noob comment.

I keep reading this lovely thread title as "Anyone else here into herps?" As in lizards, salamanders, and frogs! I come from a biology background and not a musical one, though I really do like harp music, both folk and classical.